1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrophotographic printing devices and, more particularly, to a module for mounting a MEMS device in the form of a torsion oscillator for use in electrophotographic printing devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the electrophotographic imaging process used in printers, copiers and the like, a photosensitive member, such as a photoconductive drum or belt, is uniformly charged over an outer surface. An electrostatic latent image is formed by selectively exposing the uniformly charged surface of the photosensitive member to at least one beam of light from a laser scanning unit. Toner particles are applied to the electrostatic latent image, and thereafter the toner image is transferred to the media intended to receive the final permanent image. The toner image is fixed to the media by the application of heat and pressure in a fuser.
In the past, laser scanning units employed a rotating polygonal mirror to scan the laser beam across the photosensitive member. However, in modern laser scanning units, a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) in the form of a torsion oscillator may replace the polygonal mirror. Potential advantages of the torsion oscillator system over conventional rotating polygonal mirrors include higher scanning speeds, reduced size and weight, lower cost, and higher reliability. However, wide use of the torsion oscillator in scanning systems has been hampered by various problems, including the lack of robust mounting configurations for MEMS devices that have prevented the potential benefits of MEMS technology from being fully realized.
What is needed in the art is an improved module for mounting a MEMS device.